Date of Award
1-23-2026
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
Communication Disorders, MCD
First Advisor
Christina Akbari-Davis
Committee Members
Emily Weston; Shanon Brantley
Call Number
ISBN 9798273347717
Abstract
This study examined the influence of training in SPEAK OUT!® on the perceptual ratings of voice and speech made by communication disorders (CD) graduate students. The purpose of this study was to investigate the influence of SPEAK OUT!® training by comparing those who have undergone SPEAK OUT!® training with those who have not. To address this, 36 participants who attend communication disorders graduate programs within the United States were recruited. Data were collected through a Qualtrics survey distributed via email and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings indicate that perceptual ratings across most voice characteristics – including intelligibility, resonance, intensity, breathiness, strain, and overall severity – did not differ significantly between SPEAK OUT!® trained and untrained students. In particular, the only statistically significant difference was observed in prosody ratings for one sample, where trained students assigned higher severity ratings compared to the untrained students, suggesting increased sensitivity to prosodic features. These results suggest that while SPEAK OUT!® training did not broadly alter perceptual ratings, it may heighten awareness of specific vocal qualities, particularly prosody and, to some extent, roughness, contributing to clinical practice and educational techniques. Although the study did not reveal a significant difference, the findings underscore the potential value of integrating structured perceptual training into graduate curricula to strengthen students’ evaluative skills and clinical preparedness. Future research may build on these findings by exploring the long-term effects of training, incorporating larger and more diverse samples, and examining whether increased perceptual sensitivity translates into improved clinical outcomes.
Rights Management
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Terrell / Blankenship, Maycie Brentney, "Communication Disorders Graduate Student: Perspective of Voice" (2026). Student Theses and Dissertations. 1123.
https://arch.astate.edu/all-etd/1123
